Nunca más. Con el tiempo los mismos directivos han ido creciendo, y su gusto por cuadros menos rígidos, ruedas mas anchas y posturas menos extremas han crecido con ellos. Mas importante: las tecnología ha hecho realidad el convertir las bicis ganadoras en bicis cómodas.
Para Cannondale, esto se ha convertido en una ralidad esta temporada cuando su prototipo Synapse ganó los Tres Días de La Panne y la Gent-Wevelgem he hizo podio en el Tour de Flanders.
and made the box at the Tour of Flanders underneath Peter Sagan. The wild looking bike was turning heads everywhere it went, but Cannondale was not saying much about the bike other than oft-repeated, “We’re always working on new products…” That is until this last week when the Connecticut based company threw down big with a bike launch in Tuscany, Italy to show-off the Synapse to a collection of journos from around the world.
IN THE BEGINNING
As new as the performance/concept segment is, Cannondale pointed back to their 2002 Road Warrior model as a bike that for them reflected the early, yet undefined beginnings of the breed. Crusty old-timers might also remember when Cannondale sold their Silk Road bikes (above) that relied on their proprietary HeadShok suspension fork to help soften the hits of the road. See, there’s always been a need for comfort, it’s just that for too long the powers that be (and many think-alike) consumers were too busy sucking up to their ProTour wannabe fantasies to think about merging comfort and performance. Luckily, those days are behind us for good.
Which brings us to the 2014 Cannondale Synapse Hi-Mod. In development for three years, the new Synapse represents as a much clean sheet thinking of any bike that’s rolled our way recently. Don’t be surprised to when you hear the word Gran Fondo used along the way their marketing hype because this bike is intended for the GF type rider. Although the tech story is impressive, much like clothing brands trying to build a distaste for «pro roadie» gear as a means to hype their casual roadie gear, I wasn’t too fond of the stereotyping used in the Cannondale presentation when talking about the ideal Synapse rider. Unlike «the racers», the Synapse is designed for people who «love to ride.» I’m not a racer, don’t even look like one on TV, but I do know plenty of racers who ride bikes slammed and stiff and they for sure «love to ride». I know it wasn’t meant to do so, but the bike industry needs to avoid the gut checking and divisive language in hawking their wares.
The original Synapse was launched in 2006 and it will go down in history as the first production bike made in Asia from the company that, from its inception in 1971, had been as tried and true American as apple pie. In the six years since it hit the dealer floors, the recreational oriented Synapse has not only evolved itself, but some of its technology has migrated to other bikes in the Cannondale family as well.
As we sat in the hotel conference room getting the low-down on the bike, in walked Cannondale rider and 2012 Tour de France green jersey winner, Peter Sagan who in an instant reminded everybody just how performance oriented the new Synapse was as he gave us the first-person version of testing the bike and then deciding to race it. Weighing in at a claimed 950 grams, that’s about 200 grams more than the EVO race bike that Peter will be aboard in the upcoming Tour of California.
Both Fabio Sabatini and Ted King rode with us both days with their team spec Synapse bikes. Cannondale told us that everyone on the team raced production bikes except Sagan who gets his own frame mold to suit his personal geometry. Besides the heralded SAVE (Synapse active Vibration Elimination) found in the shapely chainstays, seatstays and fork which aid in damping road shock, it seems there’s a new acronym in town SERG (Synapse Endurance Race Geometry) which is addition to SAVE is intended to round out the performance aspect of the bike.
THE LAUNCH
Cannondale spared no expense to to put on a good show for the launch of the 2014 Synapse. The Borgo Scopeto Relais is a beautiful hotel with a fabulous sunset view of the town of Sienna across the valley. Cannondale invited 30 journalists from 16 different countries as well as a bevy of support staff to make it all possible.
Team Cannondale rider Ted King enthusiastically pointed to a plate of raw meat, before asking me why I always seem to take photos of him when he’s eating. Ted was in town doing his PR duties before heading home to prepare for the upcoming Tour of California.
Sure to most people this would appear to be a plate of chopped tomatoes, but for the chef at the Borgo Scopeto it is actually a «bowl» of tomato «soup». Either way, it was delicious
THE BIKE
To enhance their «endurance bike» mettle, all the Synapse bikes will be spec’d with 28c Mavic tires. Well, except for the Black Inc edition which due to the low pivots on the Shimano Dura-Ace brakes prevents Cannondale from using the bigger rubber due to a lack of proper clearance.
The Synapse fork is indeed an odd looking item owing the SAVE shaping and rearward facing dropout, all designed to provide more effective rake and a better ride quality. The carbon steerer is tapered.
Due to the 3cm taller head tube, the Pro team riders are moving beyond their usual zero rise stems and instead running drop stems to get them into that racy position they seem to covet so highly. Ted King commented, «The bike looks cool with a slammed stem…it’s not gratuitous….it’s not like the is something that’s well, gratuitous.» As it’s become practically legally required these days, all the cables are run internally.
Of all the many surprising aspects of the Synapse, none was more unexpected than to find that the bike will be spec’d with a mini-headlight system as standard equipment. The proprietary designed lights have a universal application and are battery operated and have a 200 hour run time and add 30mm to to the stem stack. As amused as the journos were with the concept, most immediately 86’d the light in favor of a few spacers to get a lower position. This could be one of the coolest examples of «somebody sweated the details» thinking in 2013.
In a move to provide even more compliance beyond the SAVE frame features, Cannondale spec’d the Synapse with an under-sized 25.4mm System III seatpost in addition to all new internal seat binder. By replacing the seat binder of old with the internal design, the additional exposed seatpost will offer additional compliance. The small space in front of the post (under a removable rubber cover)is where the binder bolt resides.
By far the most eye-catching aspect of the Synapse frame is the split seat tube design at the bottom bracket. As it was explained to us, following their use of a new wider & asymmetrical 73mm bottom bracket, the use of a flared tube to match the width of the bottom bracket was both unsightly and prone to cracking. The fix gives the bike a signature look that will no doubt be hotly debated. Me thinks it looks cool.
Shapes, shapes and more shapes. Owing to the evolving design of the SAVE Plus tubing, the Synapse is easily one of the more shapely bikes on the road today.
Similar in visual concept to the he helix drawn downtube and top tube use by Lynskey Titanium, the Synapse seatstays are a work of purposeful art.
Four womens’ specific models of the Synase will be released in the summer including this good looking pearl white model that runs Shimano Ultegra Di2.
Just as they did with the EVO, Cannondale is releasing a stealthy Black Inc. version of the Synapse. The bike is spec’d with a Shimano Dura-Ace drivetrain and has graphics that could be considered non-existent until you look closely and in just the right light. Both FSA and Fizik provide their own blacked-out parts to follow the theme.
Still one of the absolutely coolest components on the market today, Cannondale’s SISL2 crank is a thing of pure beauty, elegance and at @ 480 grams, performance as well. The one piece spider is forged and machined, the cranks arms machined and bonded. All Synapse bikes will get a version of the Hollowgram cranks, but only the hi-end models will get the super-cool ten arm spider. The SISL2 cranks are available as an aftermarket item with either standard or compact rings.
Baby’s got back!
THE PARTNERS
All the test bikes were outfitted with Visions new Metron 40 carbon clinchers. For two days of gravel riding the wheels performed impressively with a nice ride quality. The 25mm wide Metrons are available in three different depths and the Cannondale team uses the tubular versions.
FSA was showing off this pre-production K-Force Light, five bolt carbon crank that was simply a thing of beauty. Like the wheels, FSA is producing their parts with standard graphics and this black on black look.
Just days following their worldwide press launch in California, SRAM used the opportunity of th Cannondale launch to throw down dozens of new Red 22 drivetrains (but no hydro brakes) for everyone to ride. Strong detents and positive shifts long with a new 16T gear were all part of SRAM’s new 11 speed experience. Here’s the review of Red 22 that we posted from the SRAM launch.
Fizik has been a longtime saddle/handlebar tape sponsor of the Liquigas/Cannondale team and to their credit they stayed on when Liquigas pulled out at the end of 2012. Although the team itself is sponsored by Sidi, Fizik used the Cannondale launch to reach out to more journos who might not be familiar with their shoes. Even their entry level R3 Uomo (at under $300) is made in Italy.
THE RIDING
The paved and white gravel roads of the area are home to the increasingly famous L]Eroica vintage bike race that takes place here each October.
For two days of riding, it was safe to say that we knew where we were going, but sometimes we just didn’t know how to get there.
There’s just something especially charming when the three hour ride gets broken up with a stop for some Chianti Classico atCastello Di Meleto. Originally built as residence for Benedictine Monks in 1256, today the castle is home to a restaurant and winery.
As much for the scenery, good food and great riding, the Chianti region is famous for the delicious red wine.
It wasn’t always easy to keep up when the group was getting led out by Pro riders Fabio Sabatini and Ted King.
As the old saying goes, we need to get the Synapse back to our regular roads before passing accurat
judgement, but from our two days of paved and gravel riding on the famed Strade Bianche of Tuscany, it appears that Cannondale has a true compliance hit on their hands with the Synapse and a bike that will surly compete for sales with their awesome EVO race bike.
For the trip of a lifetime, I’d advise everyone to come to Siena (after you visit Venice first) for the Palio di Siena horse raceand stay afterwards to ride your bike on some of the most beautiful country roads on earth.
Like I said, Ted King and my camera always seem to hook-up when he’s eating or drinking. We have three other tables of witnesses who will vouch for Ted and swear it was the Brits at his table who proved capable of downing more than one bottle of Chianti per person.
Okay, we’ve all heard about the great riding in Napa, but seriously, riding in Tuscany should be at the top of everyone’s bucket list. The Chianti region makes Napa look like urban sprawl!
José Carlos Pedrero